Tutorial: Create a tab-delimited file in Microsoft Excel for mailing lists
When sending mailing lists to a printer, it's incredibly helpful to have a properly formatted file. Follow these steps to make your own.
Create a mailing list in Excel:
1. Open Excel
2. Create your data labels in the first row (First Name, MI, Last Name, Address 1, Address 2, City, State, and Zipcode).
3. Enter in data points in the boxes below your labels. All data should be consistent in field format and all data points must be separated by field.
Example format:
| First Name | MI | Last Name | Address 1 | Address 2 | City | State | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David | A | Lightman | 123 Eye St. | Suite 1 | Arcata | CA | 95521 |
| Sarah | J | Connor | 456 9th St | Apt. 1 | Arcata | CA | 95521 |
| Marty | S | McFly | 555 H St. | Apt. A | Arcata | CA | 95521 |
4. Matching the sequence of your data labels, type or paste your customer list directly into Excel. Check for errors and correct formatting.
5. Save your Excel file.
Create a tab-delimited file from your Excel worksheet:
1. In Excel, click the File tab, then Save As.
2. In the Save as type box, choose Text (Tab delimited)
3. Browse location where you'd like the file saved, then click Save.
4. A dialog box will appear reminding you that only the current worksheet will be saved to the new file. You can save other worksheets as separate text files by repeating this procedure for each. Click Yes.
5. A second dialog box appears reminding you that your worksheet may contain elements that aren't supported by text file formats. Click Yes.
You are now able to send your tab-delimited text file to your printer!